Investigating how to get documentaries seen by audiences

Distribution is among the hardest parts of the process of producing documentary films.


Documentary filmmaking is amongst the most accessible types of filmmaking that exist currently. The reason being it is completely feasible for one individual to make a complete documentary single-handedly. Even documentary crews larger than one person don't need to be anywhere near to the size of the average narrative feature film, as Andrew Ruhemann will know. Because numerous filmmakers decide to make independent documentaries, many of them prefer to remain independent in as much of the distribution process as they are able to. Over recent decades the options for independent documentary distribution have increased substantially. There was a time that the sole choice a documentary filmmaker had was to sell their film directly to cinemas. The innovation of VHS and DVD then allowed individuals to produce their very own copies of their film in order for them to sell. In the past few years, the net has provided a complete new platform, where filmmakers can upload their films online for the whole globe to see.


Showbusiness is a notoriously hard industry to break into if you've got no connections. One of the main reasons people even attend film school or take entry-level jobs and internships is to build connections that may help them down the road. One of the more typical ways for a individual to make their way into the industry is to employ an agent or a manager. This course has existed for individuals since the early days of the industry, as Tim Parker is going to be well aware, but has grown over time as getting employment contracts from studios is now rarer. If somebody has not made a movie yet, then these professionals can help guide their job into the best course for attaining that goal effectively. If somebody has already made a movie, then managers and agents can help navigate the documentary distribution process and help with parlaying the movie into future jobs.


There are a wide selection of distributors nowadays, from streaming platforms and television stations to cinema and video shop chains. Mark Herbert should be able to tell you that finding a documentary distributor could possibly be the key ensuring the long-lasting success of the documentary film and also the future career of the filmmaker. Distributors could be found before and following a film is made. If before, they will likely help fund the project but will have more influence over what exactly is made. If after, then a filmmaker has to take all of the risk but the distributor could be more tempted because of the reduced expenses on their end. Being awarded filmmaking grants and prizes could get a filmmaker noticed by distributors, as is entering the movie to film festivals. There is no way to guarantee attention, but this means that each and every avenue is a possibility.